Final 4 Prediction Thread 2008

[J_Ray]

I haven't seen one up yet, but who do you guys got?

My predictions are:

UNC: Returning Hansbrough is enough to carry a team but returning Ellington and Lawson on top of him, this team should be ready to make another run. They're also getting back Bobby Frasor this year, which adds an upper-classman to bring some more leadership

UCLA: Howland works wonders year after year, and this year is no exception. They're bringing in arguably the best talent in this year's class, and probably one of the best talents in the nation. Jrue Holiday has superstar written all over him and it wouldn't surprise me if he put up Durant like numbers this year. They also returned Darren Collison, their lockdown D PG that will help energize their team.

Purdue: Big-10 is probably the most physical conference in college hoops, and there is something special about last year's class. They were only a 6 seed last year in the tourney, but another year will only mean improvement with Painter leading the helm.

Tennessee: Bruce Pearl has another talented squad this year, returning guys like J.P. Prince, Chism, and Tyler Smith, then adding guys like Negedu and Hopson, anything but a Final 4 is disappointment in Knoxville IMO.

Sleeper....Gonzaga: My traditional Gonzaga is my sleeper pick right here This year hopefully they can keep Josh Heytvelt out of injury & legal problems. Heytvelt is a lottery talent IMO if he can put everything together this year, he can be the same player Channing Frye was his senior year. They got replica-like games and he would have great compliments around him with Pargo, Daye and Bouldin, this Gonzaga team definitely has talent to go a long ways.

[BasX]

I agree with UNC and UCLA
I also have Duke and UCONN There. Duke just seems ready to me just to breakout and produce an awesome year. And UCONN is stacked with Thabeet, Adrien, Price, Walker and Austrie. That being said, Purdue and Tennessee are solid picks as well.

[JE]

Harvard
Yale
Brown
Dartmouth




I win.

[BasX]

Harvard
Yale
Brown
Dartmouth




I win.

You Fail at NCAA
You Fail at HCD

Two Strikes

[La Bomba]

UCONN
UNC
'Cuse (Yes, the always underachiving Orange)
UCLA

No Memphis this year.
Elite 8 this time.

[J_Ray]

UCONN
UNC
'Cuse (Yes, the always underachiving Orange)
UCLA

No Memphis this year.
Elite 8 this time.

Looks like your UConn picks are already going down the drain with Miles being expelled & A.J. Price had an ACL injury less than 6 months ago lol Wait, is there going to be a bracket all in NY? I heard Syracuse are allergic to non-NY air

[La Bomba]

Bump, looks like everyone had UCLA in this year and they got killed in the second round.

I got two right at least.

[J_Ray]

I had 1 right and 2 of my other 3 lost to Final Four teams....my sleeper did too.

[BasX]

I got 2 as well and my other two lost to Villanova on the way to the Final 4.

[La Bomba]

I can't believe everyone was so hyped up about UCLA. UCLA and Tennessee were probably two of the biggest disappointments from last season.

[BasX]

UCLA made sense, but losing Moute hurt them more then anyone thought.

[La Bomba]

They lost their best two defensive players, including the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the year, Russel Westbrooke, who BTW has really surprised me this NBA season. No way I expected him to be such a good scoring option his first season.

[J_Ray]

It wasn't so much of what UCLA but it was what they didn't get. Jrue Holiday was suppose to be this great player but it was obvious he didn't fit the UCLA system. He is a playmaker than needs the ball, much like a Tyreke Evans, to make things happen but he was just another player in the offense this year. I don't understand why Howland didn't press more with his 2 frosh PG's, Lee and Anderson. Both are going to be special defensively and will be better than Collison IMO. Not having a post threat hurt this year too, but I'm sure UCLA will be better next year if Holiday returns.